Avoid using medication containers with barcodes imprinted horizontally on rounded surfaces because they could result in scanning failures that compromise patient safety, warns the Institute of Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)....

Joseph A. Caprini, MD, FACS, RVT, DFSVS, is succinct in explaining why you must make DVT prevention a priority. “The leading cause of death after surgery or hospitalization...

Brenda Ulmer, MN, RN, CNOR, and Angela Hohn, RN, BSN, BS, CNOR, have accomplished so much together that it’s almost impossible to believe that the two...

Mary Jane. Weed. Pot. Marijuana is known by many different names. While it's been used recreationally for years, more states are legalizing its use. The variety and availability of marijuana-derived products...

John C. Britt, MD, can remember when he would use image-guided navigation technology only for difficult or revision sinus surgery. Earlier versions of the technology...

It's important to include family members in the care of their loved ones on the day of surgery. Family members provide vital information about patients and help to ensure discharge instructions are followed, which prevents...

Intraoperative fluoroscopy is a powerful but potentially dangerous aspect of many surgeries. The goal is to get the exact images the surgeon needs without exposing...

Retained surgical items are considered "never events" because they're never supposed to occur — and yet they still happen all too often. "They remain the sentinel event most...

Every surgical patient should be warmed, whether it's to keep them comfortable in chilly ORs or prevent the chilling effects of perioperative hypothermia. It's equally clear that...

Patients are already nervous and anxious before surgery. Add dehydrated and hungry to the equation and their discomfort spikes as their blood sugar drops. How well...

During my anesthesia training, instructors would often compare the complexities of administering sedation to learning how to fly a plane. Anesthesia providers, like their pilot counterparts, undergo rigorous training....

Endophthalmitis is a rare, but potentially devastating, eye infection that can cause permanent loss of vision. Advances in instrument sterilization practices, more effective...

The medication errors that cause serious patient harm can be avoided through better safety practices and system changes. Half of the items that landed on the Institute for...

Keeping your patients safe is obviously a core value at your facility, yet compliance with best practices designed to avert serious complications and injuries is sometimes alarmingly low. Use this quiz as a starting point to gauge how well your staff is ready to spare your patients from unnecessary harm.

Patient warming prevents inadvertent perioperative hypothermia, which can cause vasoconstriction, tissue hypoxia and a decreased ability to fight infections. Perioperative warming...

There is currently no clear consensus for when it’s safe to operate on patients who are recovering from COVID-19. A baseline was set in March with the publication of an international, multicenter study by the enormous...

Members of the perioperative team at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore work many challenging surgeries on very sick patients, yet can count the number of pressure...

Outpatient Surgery Magazine's eNews Briefs. Bringing you the surgical news you want.

Outpatient Surgery Magazine's eNews Briefs. Bringing you the surgical news you want.

Outpatient Surgery Magazine's eNews Briefs. Bringing you the surgical news you want.